That day, Dylan proposed to Avril.

The sudden marriage proposal came as a shock to Avril. She vividly remembered the moment she froze under his stern gaze; it was different from his usual kind and gentle one.

However, Avril soon convinced herself he did it for the sake of the contract.

No way… Was he being serious? Then—…

Her eyes fluttered shut as she ruminated on the words.

‘—Avril Allingham, I want you to marry me.’

…If I remember correctly, after that, Lord Dylan called me “dense”…!

How did she not notice? No, she did it to prevent herself from getting carried away. Then, Carol dealt a finishing blow to Avril as she was trying to justify her action.

“No matter how you look at it, Lord Dylan loves you. Despite your shenanigans, he still gently watches over you. Even if you’re eccentric, I don’t think you’re that dense.”

“…!?”

“I won’t believe you if you say that you didn’t notice. It’s been less than a year since I’ve started serving the Duke of Lancester, but I pity the lord so much.”

“…!?!?”

I didn’t realize in the slightest…

No, even when he was being upfront with her, Avril still thought that he was talking about the contract.

—If so, since when?

Since the tea party? Or was it during the salon concert? Or when he introduced her to Prince Lawrence? Or the day he told Avril she didn’t have to keep up the ruse?

The year she spent with Dylan ran through her mind. She though it was just an ordinary, uneventful life, but when she thought about it, Dylan had always been courteous—and not to mention, kind and warm to Avril.

—Perhaps… Is this what it means to be loved by someone?

A strange feeling gradually enveloped her heart.

For some reason, she couldn’t picture Dylan’s face. Until just that morning, she was easily thinking about him out of gratitude for the dress.

Apparently, Dylan wasn’t only being polite. Still, she was unsure. As such, it’d be quicker to ask him directly.

After escaping from here, Let’s ask Lord Dylan for the truth…!

Seeing that Avril had quieted down, Carol came to a conclusion.

“…Did you honestly think it was a loveless political marriage?”

“Eh…?”

“I know that you weren’t blessed with a kind upbringing. Still, I can’t help but feel sorry for the lord because you misunderstood him that much.”

“…”

I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it.

Overwhelmed by the strange yet fluffy sensations, along with guilt, she shifted her thoughts and pondered the future.

First of all, I’ll find an opening and escape from here. If I don’t do anything, I’ll be forced to become Lady Alexandra’s maid in Corinna’s place…!

After all, she sent Avril to the Duke of Lancester for the same reason. Corinna’s scheme was so obvious, Avril felt sorry for her.

Perhaps, I won’t even be here by the time the wedding ceremony unfolds. Still, that dress… Lord Dylan gave it to me as a present…

She was somewhat disappointed that Corinna would be the one to wear that dress. That dress, which she’d been fawning over all morning…

However, Avril’s strength was her laidback yet strong mentality. Once she had decided her course of action, she felt at ease and all of her tension was released.

…I wonder if this is the southern staircase? Even though there are no windows, it’s warm…

As a matter of fact, Avril woke up earlier than usual that morning for the sake of the wedding.

She woke up early, looked at the dress, had breakfast, looked at dress, got dressed, and then looked at the dress again…

As it was, Avril accidentally fell asleep even though she was currently tied up in the staircase.

“…”

“…”

Avril woke up to the sound of muttering. She was surrounded by stacks of wooden boxes and furniture that seemed to be for some kind of ceremony. She tilted her head at the dusty surroundings, it was just like being in a shed.

Uh, I…

She wanted to rub her eyes, but couldn’t.

Why are my hands bound…?

Just as she wondered that, the noise outside suddenly grew louder, followed by the tune of the pipe organ.

With that, Avril’s head cleared, and she immediately recalled the situation she was in.

—That’s right! The wedding ceremony…! I fell asleep after Corinna stole my dress…!

…Yes, while her strength was in her laidback yet strong mentality, she undoubtedly made a mistake. Carol’s perplexed voice could be heard from beside her.

“…I tried to wake you up several times, but you were sleeping so soundly you wouldn’t wake up.”

“…Solly.”

“Even if you apologize, it’s too late. Why don’t you try to get out of your bindings? You’ll be able to move freely that way.”

“…Aite…”

I’m sorry, Carol… I was TOO laidback…

As the wedding had started, there’d be no more guards. Avril twisted her body out of the bindings. That was another mysterious skill she acquired when she was young.

With her hands tied behind her back, Avril got up and went towards the door. She wanted to ensure her safety before untying herself. The door was locked from outside and wouldn’t budge, but she could see the inside of the church through the gap.

The bride could be seen treading softly towards the altar.

—No matter how I look at her, that’s Corinna!

---

***T/N: Can’t wait to see her get thotslapped.

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